- Dejan Stefanović
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Dejan Stefanović
Дејан СтефановићPersonal information Date of birth October 28, 1974 Place of birth Vranje, SFR Yugoslavia Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) Playing position Centre back, Left back Club information Current club Havant & Waterlooville Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1993–1995 Red Star Belgrade 46 (9) 1995–1999 Sheffield Wednesday 66 (4) 1999 Perugia 0 (0) 2000 OFK Belgrade 0 (0) 2000–2003 Vitesse Arnhem 94 (4) 2003–2007 Portsmouth 112 (3) 2007–2008 Fulham 13 (0) 2008–2009 Norwich City 0 (0) 2010– Havant & Waterlooville 12 (0) National team‡ 1995–2004 FR Yugoslavia/Serbia & Montenegro 20 (0) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:00, 8 November 2008 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 09:14, 7 March 2008 (UTC)Dejan Stefanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Дејан Стефановић), (born October 28, 1974 in Vranjein Serbia, is a Serbian football player who plays for Conference South side Havant & Waterlooville He is a central defender who can also play at full back.
Contents
Football career
Stefanović began his career in his home town with Dinamo Vranje before being signed by Red Star Belgrade. Whilst at the club he made his international debut for FR Yugoslavia, aged 20, against Hong Kong in January 1995.[1]
For the second part of the 1995/96 season, English club Sheffield Wednesday signed both Stefanović and compatriot, striker Darko Kovačević. Stefanović cost the English club £2 million. However, Stefanović struggled to break into the Wednesday side with Emerson Thome and Des Walker among those ahead of him in the pecking order.
In 1998/99, after playing 72 games for the club, Stefanović was released on a free transfer, signing for A.C. Perugia. However, the move did not work out and before long he returned to Serbia with OFK Belgrade.
Stefanović moved to his third club of the 1999/2000 season when transferring to Vitesse Arnhem of the Netherlands. He quickly became a first team regular, and spent four years at the club, becoming captain during that time. At Vitesse he played the six UEFA Cup-matches on his resume.
At the start of the 2003/04 season, he returned to England with Premiership newcomers Portsmouth for £1.85million.[2] He established himself as a first choice defender during the club's first season in the top-flight, and was a regular in the 2004/05 campaign, winning the fans' player of the season award.[3] He was made Portsmouth captain by Alain Perrin in the 2005/2006 season, although a dip in form and a habit of speaking out to the press earned him the ire of some supporters. Indeed, he confessed to "not giving 100%" under Perrin due to disliking the French coach, comments criticised as highly unprofessional by some fans.
Stefanović's influence on chairman (and fellow Serbian) Milan Mandarić is said to have been an important factor in the dismissal of Perrin and the re-appointment of Harry Redknapp and he was an important member of the side that survived at Wigan in the penultimate game of the season.
Stefanović was converted to a left back at the start of 2006/07 and was a mainstay of the defence that performed so well for Portsmouth during the season. However, the arrivals of Hermann Hreiðarsson and Sylvain Distin during the summer of 2007 cast his position as a first team regular into doubt and he was replaced as captain by Sol Campbell for the 2007/08 season.
In August 2007 Rangers revealed an interest in signing Stefanović[4] but he signed for Fulham.[5] Having spent less than a year at Craven Cottage, he moved to Norwich City on 18 July 2008, agreeing a two year deal.[6] After twelve starts for the Canaries in which he picked up one red card, Stefanović ruptured his cruciate knee ligaments and didn't play again for Norwich City in the 2008/2009 season.
In August 2009, it was reported that Stefanović was in negotiations to leave Norwich, with the player wishing to return to the south of England.[7] On 1 September 2009, his contract was terminated by mutual consent.[8]
Stefanovic retired in late 2009 due to a knee injury but still lives in the Portsmouth area and has admitted his dreams of managing Portsmouth Football Club one day.[9]
On 7 October 2010 Stefanovic joined Havant & Waterlooville as a player-coach.
Career statistics
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Serbia League Cup League Cup Continental Total 1992–93 Red Star Belgrade First League 2 0 1993–94 14 0 1994–95 30 9 England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total 1995–96 Sheffield Wednesday Premier League 6 0 0 0 0 0 - - 6 0 1996–97 29 2 1 0 1 0 - - 30 2 1997–98 20 2 0 0 1 0 - - 21 2 1998–99 11 0 2 1 0 0 - - 13 1 Italy League Coppa Italia League Cup Europe Total 1999–00 Perugia Serie A 0 0 Serbia League Cup League Cup Continental Total 1999-00 OFK Beograd First League 0 0 Netherlands League KNVB Cup League Cup Europe Total 1999-00 Vitesse Eredivisie 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 0 2000–01 27 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 27 1 2001–02 25 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 25 3 2002–03 27 1 0 0 0 0 6 0 27 1 England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total 2003–04 Portsmouth Premier League 32 3 3 0 2 0 - - 37 3 2004–05 32 0 2 0 2 0 - - 36 0 2005–06 28 0 2 0 1 0 - - 31 0 2006–07 20 0 0 0 0 0 - - 20 0 2007–08 Fulham Premier League 13 0 2 0 0 0 - - 15 0 2008–09 Norwich City Championship 12 0 Total Serbia 46 9 England 191 7 12 1 7 0 0 0 210 8 Italy 0 0 Netherlands 94 4 Career total 331 20 International career
Stefanović is a full Serbian international, earning his first call-up in 1995 (The country was then known as Yugoslavia, changing to Serbia and Montenegro in 2003). He has a total of 20 caps to his name. Stefanović retired from international football in 2004.
External links
- Dejan Stefanovic career stats at Soccerbase
- BBC profile
- FootballDatabase provides Dejan Stefanović's profile and stats
References
- ^ Dejan Stefanovic Profile
- ^ "Pompey seal Stefanovic deal". BBC Sport. 2003-06-20. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/3003936.stm. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
- ^ "Dejan Stefanovic". The Portsmouth News. 2007-02-28. http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/pompey-profiles?articleid=2086207. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
- ^ "Smith reveals Stefanovic interest". BBC Sport. 2007-08-22. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6958410.stm. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
- ^ "Fulham complete Stefanovic deal". BBC Sport. 2007-08-31. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/fulham/6972167.stm. Retrieved 2007-08-31.
- ^ "FULHAM DUO JOIN CITY". Norwich City FC. 2008-07-18. http://www.canaries.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetails/0,,10355~1346821,00.html. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
- ^ "Stefanovic asks to leave Canaries". BBC Sport. 2009-08-06. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/n/norwich/8187442.stm. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
- ^ "Stefanovic to leave Carrow Road". BBC Sport. 2009-09-01. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/n/norwich/8231917.stm. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
- ^ "Stefanovic: One day my vision is to be Pompey boss". Portsmouth News. 2010-06-28. http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/Stefanovic-One-day-my-vision.6387060.jp. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
- ^ STEFANOVIĆ (Dejan Stefanović) – Norwich City and Serbia
Sporting positions Preceded by
Arjan de ZeeuwPortsmouth F.C. captain
2005–2007Succeeded by
Sol CampbellAwards Preceded by
Arjan de ZeeuwPortsmouth F.C. Fans' Player of the Year
2004–2005Succeeded by
Gary O'NeilCategories:- 1974 births
- Living people
- People from Vranje
- Serbian footballers
- Serbia and Montenegro international footballers
- Association football defenders
- Red Star Belgrade footballers
- Premier League players
- Eredivisie players
- Sheffield Wednesday F.C. players
- Perugia Calcio players
- OFK Beograd players
- SBV Vitesse players
- Portsmouth F.C. players
- Fulham F.C. players
- Norwich City F.C. players
- Expatriate footballers in Italy
- Expatriate footballers in the Netherlands
- Expatriate footballers in England
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